Dragonkin
Attention: This is mostly a draft. I'm really working out the storyline with this, so it's not going to be perfect or anything. I might change my mind halfway through about where it needs to go. So. Keep that in mind, please. If you have any tips or something that confused you or didn't make sense, please critique me in the comments! I would love any help or advice you might have to make my story better! Thanks, sidewalkflowers. 1: Sentence Starseeker growled irritably. For too long had he been waiting outside these black marble doors, sitting straight and tall and bored. The guards on either side of him were much better at hiding their emotions. He only wished he had that talent. Then maybe he wouldn't have been caught. A wave of emotion threatened to crash down on him, and he shook his head. He needed to remain in control. He had to. He couldn't let anyone see what he was thinking, or- he focused on the pattern in the tiles on the floor, memorizing them, thinking only of them. He was surrounded by dragons who could read his mind. He was usually good at concealing his thoughts, but it mattered even more today. The doors swung open, seemingly on their own, and Starseeker rose. He stretched his wings and then settled them down again, talons clicking on the floor as he entered. The room was large, filled with dozens of Nightwings. Watching. Waiting. Deciding his fate. He held his head high and concentrated on the tile beneath him. There was his childhood friend, no a member of the council, watching with apprehension. Nightfury was trying not to look at Starseeker, and concentrated on the scroll he was supposed to be taking notes on. There were his parents, looking down at him disapprovingly. They were the ones who had reported him. Starseeker hated them for that. There was the queen. Deathstorm glared at her, the scar on her face horrendous as usual. Starseeker tried not to think about it, but ended up doing so anyway. It was said that she recieved the scar from a dragon that she once loved, that he had been paid to kill her. However, he failed and she drank his blood. No one knew how much of that legend were true, but it did its' job of frightening off any enemies. She was a fearsome fighter, unmatched in battle prowess. She was going to kill the tribe off one day, with all of the wars she kept causing. He sat in a pit with a sandy bottom, lowering him a length below the council dragons seated around the room, forcing him to look up at them. "Starseeker," a dragon began, standing tall and speaking with a deep, pompous voice. Starseeker tried not to imagine all the ways he could be killed. "You have been charged with attempted treason against your tribe." Attempted treason? He snorted. "However, since the act was unsuccessful and you were apprehended, your queen will be lenient. It has been decided that, instead of death as is the customary sentence, an exception will be made. You will be, instead, sent to the Mountain Training Camp for Nightwings, with the hope that you will be reformed and released to serve the Night Kingdom." Starseekers' heart stopped. Blood rushed in his ears. The Camp, commonly referred to as MTCN, was his worst nightmare. No! He couldn't go there! He had to make them see, that wasn't right! He didn't block his thoughts, but instead let them rage out against the court. Dragons winced and squeezed their eyes shut. He knew he was loud. He needed to be loud, they needed to know what a mistake this was- "Take him out," Deathstorm commanded. "His sentence is not to be changed." His claws scrabbled against the sand, finding no purchase, nothing to grip onto. The guards easily clamped irons on his wings and pulled him out. He was halfway out of the room when his sharp ears caught something. "The Seawing has already recieved her sentence, and a lot less fuss she made." No. No! "What have you done to her? Stop! No!" He tried to escape the strong hold of the guards, but to no avail. The last thing he saw before being knocked unconscious was the queen's triumphant smile. Oh, please, no. 2: The Camp He was transported while he slept, which was a shame, because Starseeker felt sure if he had just woken up, he could have escaped. But no. Now he was here, was stuck in this small, white, uncomfortable room. There was nothing in it, and the door was impenetrable to his attempts to scrape against it. It did not melt under his fire. He was stuck. He did not have to wait long until he was released. A large, strong dragon came in soon after he woke, checked the irons binding his wings together, and escorted him out. At least he felt a little bit more comfortable in the dark hallway, but not much. He raged against his parents and the council and the queen. I'm going to kill her, he thought, lashing his tail. "Can you stop?" The dragon asked. "Your thoughts are giving me a headache." "Maybe you shouldn't read my mind, then!" He shouted, lunging towards the dragon. The Nightwing easily deflected his attack and pushed him against the wall. Starseeker was back up in a second, and ready to fight again, to fight for the rest of his life- "You're going to waste your energy, and then how will you escape?" He scowled. "Just walk quietly, please? I'll stay out of your mind." "You better," he muttered, striding down the hall. I have nothing to lose. The camp was large, and full of Nightwings. Some of them had bound wings, but the majority were free to come and go as they pleased. They stood in straight lines, battled each other, shouted instructions. He instantly hated it. It was said that the Mountain Training Camp would completely change a dragon, reduce him to a common soldier who could only follow commands. That wouldn't happen to him, it couldn't. But as he looked out at it all, he couldn't help but wonder how he would resist. He stood on a balcony, but even from this height he couldn't see over the wall encircling the camp. He could only see within. There were sections. The first was the barracks: large, crowded buildings that not much time was spent in. Next to it was the dining hall. Each barrack ate at different times. The second section was the yard. It was a grassy area where dragons trained and lined up to receive mass instructions. Next to it was a group of unnamed buildings. He suspected they were for training as well. By that was the work camp. It was there that he saw most of the chained dragons. They were mainly prisoners, working until they were broken and could obey commands. He suspected that that was where he would be moved. "Starseeker," the Nightwing said, and Starseeker looked over bitterly. "You are here now. Being angry won't help anything." He barked a laugh. "I'm not surprised you would tell me that. You're holding me prisoner, after all, under order of the queen." "Well, I tried." He backed away from the balcony and led Starseeker down several more hallways. He did his best to track where he was, but they all looked the same! Even after growing up in a palace, this was disorienting. "You will not be staying in the barracks. Instead, you've been given rooms in the main building here. You will not be able to escape, even if you think up a clever plan." He turned to meet Starseeker's gaze. "You are broadcasting your schemes to the whole camp. Tomorrow someone else will come get you." "I don't get to see my number one guard?" "With luck, you will never have to see me again. I'm a guard, not a trainer. I'm not paid to care about you." Is that why I don't even know your name? As he expected, the dragon answered his thought. He was reading his mind, and Starseeker hated him for that. "I am called Jeweltalon." Starseeker snorted. That was his name? That's ridiculous. Jeweltalon growled. "We're here," he said, and pushed him through a doorway, locking it securely behind him. Once again, Starseeker was trapped. The room was small and simple. There was a sleeping ledge in the corner and a simple wooden table by the wall. There was also a small chest underneath it. He strode to the window. It wasn't barred, but it was far too small for him to ever be able to squeeze out. He pushed the glass out and stuck his head out. He could see a courtyard, and the other sides of the building rising up on each side. They aren't even risking me escaping. How important am I? He wondered. Important enough that they chained his wings and locked him up in this cell. He gazed down at a fish pond, far below, and withdrew his head. Then he sat on the ledge, trying to become comfortable. He was going to have to spend many nights here. 3: Training "Wake up, Starseeker!" The voice thundered through his head, as if he were a mind reader. But of course, he wasn't, and the loud voice that made tremors in the ground was just a dragon bellowing at him. He sat up, eyes wide. He had, for a few hours, forgotten where he was. "What time is it?" The dragon in front of him grinned. "The early hours of the morning." Starseeker groaned and rolled over. "Get up or I'll shout again." Angrily, he turned to look at the dragon. She was the same size as him, but he guessed that she was older by at least a few years. Her eyes were sharp and suspicious, her mouth prone to grinning. She was more silvery in color, but still usual-Nightwing dark. He was so bored of Nightwings. Seawings, he knew, were beautiful and colorful. His heart ached. "And what are we doing now?" "Training. Everyone rises early. Come on." Aching everywhere from the hard ledge, Starseeker stood and began to follow her. Unlike what he suspected, he was not taken to the work camp, where dragons performed manual labor. Instead, the trainer led him to the training ground. It was empty, and torches illuminated the area. "I thought you said everyone got up now?" "I lied," she said, and leapt at him. Starseeker's first thought was, I'm going to die. And then he went into action, rolling to the side and jumping up to slice at her unprotected wing. However, she knew that he was coming and beat him with her tail. He roared and jumped, trying to get her over onto her back where it would be easier to kill her. But it didn't work, and he was thrown off. A moment later, he was on the ground, her talons around his throat. "You are an awful fighter," she said, standing. "You're going to need even more practice than I originally thought." He growled, venemous thoughts swirling around his head. "I'd rather die." She laughed, and attacked again. And so it went. On and on and on, until the sun rose and there was activity in the camp. At last, Starseeker couldn't move. He was aching everywhere and was surprised to find that he wasn't bleeding, but he couldn't jump or run or fight. He looked at the chains on his wings. Battle had been so much easier when he could fly. He lay on the ground, eyes shut. "Kill me now." There was a sharp something placed on his neck. "With pleasure." 4: The Battle This voice wasn't familiar, and he opened his eyes. His trainer was standing a distance away, frozen. "Don't move, Starseeker," the slippery voice said again, "Or I might press down too hard..." He could only imagine what would happen then. "Who are you?" He managed to say. "You are a traitor, and you deserve to die. I am only doing what is best." Starseeker closed his eyes. When he had had a talon on his trainer's neck, what had she done? He tried to remember. "For the good of the Nightwings!" the dragon said, and for a moment, the pressure on his neck relaxed. This was his chance! Now! He extended his wings as far as they could go with the chains on while pushing the attacker away, and spun around. A Nightwing wielded a sword, grinning insanely. "Clever," she said, "but you're still going to die." He roared and charged. New energy filled Starseeker's muscles as he dodged the swinging blade and gripped the dragon's head, vaulting over her. One talon gripped her throat and the other held her talon holding the sword. She thrashed, and he ripped the sword out of her grasp, holding it to her neck. She froze, but it was only for a moment. A second later, before he knew what was happening, the dragon lay on the ground, dead. She had killed herself, pushing against the blade. Starseeker stared at the remains with wide eyes, and realized he had a sword in his hand. Killer. You could have taken the weapon away and she wouldn't have died, ''his mind whispered. He dropped the sword, and realized there was a crowd of dragons surrounding him, inspecting the body, shouting. The trainer escorted him back to his room. He sat on the ground numbly. All he could think about was the quick slice, the sound of sword-against-scales, the body falling to the ground. Starseeker was a killer. 5: Months Passing Starseeker was bored of this. Every morning he rose, trained for several hours, ate, studied some boring book praising Nightwings, ate again, and went back to his cell. It was all so repetitive. His trainer, Brightmoon, was, he found, prone to laughing at his mistakes and training at all hours of the day. The hours of the night were fine, but once the new day began, it was just too early. And so he turned back to scheming. He thought up ways to escape, ways to get the chains off, ways to bribe the guards. But he hid his thoughts. He acted perfectly. No one knew what he was thinking, although he never smiled, only glowered at everything and every dragon. They knew he hated it here, but they didn't have to know what he dreamt about. Freedom. As the months passed, his planning became less frequent, his battles less tiring. He forgot that his parents had sent him here, and wished for some glimpse of someone he knew. He grew accustomed to the early mornings and late nights. He knew each of the dragons surrounding him by name. He forgot what it felt like to fly, with no chains around his wings. He changed. Despite all of his promises to himself in the beginning, despite being careful to remain angry and vengeful, he changed. He didn't think about killing Queen Deathstorm. He didn't think about the trial. He didn't think about Seawings. He thought only about the camp, and about surviving another day. 6: The Chains are Removed And then, one day, when Brightmoon thought he was ready, she removed the chains around his wings. The first thing he did was stretch. And then he flew around the courtyard. And then he came back down. The thought of fleeing didn't come into his mind. And a certain dragon, watching from the wall, felt pity for Starseeker. He remembered the dragon months ago, who only wanted to leave. And he felt that something important had been taken from Starseeker. And so he resolved to bring it back. The day was like usual. Starseeker rose while it was still dark, left his room, and joined Brightmoon at the training yard. He battled her, using his wings for once, and, suddenly, he won. After months of fighting without flying, the moment he was free, he beat her. He grinned. "Imagine what I could have done if you had removed these weeks ago!" She scowled. "Just get off me already!" So he stood, and watched her brush dirt off her clean scales. "Your training is complete in this area." "Really?" He was shocked. "Now you need to memorize the styles of each other tribe." He groaned. More fighting every morning, except now he would be fighting other dragons, non-Nightwings! "You know what, fine. And when I beat them, I'm going to join the war." She smirked. "Hope you die, Seeker. Come on." She didn't need to lead him to the library. After months, he knew where it was. It was smaller than the castle library, but serviceable, and less empty than the one at the palace. Here, dragons actually studied. War tactics and techniques, yes, but they studied. He sat at a table and opened his book. ''History of the Nightwings: Expanded Version. It wasn't something he really needed to know, but it was fascinating. Content, he began to read. Hours flew by without Starseeker realizing it, and when the dragon tapped his shoulder, he almost clawed their face off. "Sorry," he said, then realized. "Jeweltalon?" He asked, shocked. "How ever did you remember my name?" The big Nightwing muttered. "Follow me." He led Starseeker out of the library and into a shadowy corner, trying not to delve too deep into the dragon's thoughts. Finally, he decided they were safe. "What happened?" "What do you mean?" "You went from a fire-spitting ball of anger to- to this!" Starseeker shrugged. "I've been better. Acted better. Worked harder." "You realize you are representing everything this camp is about? Reformation. Something happened to you, but I don't know what yet. Have you forgotten anything?" Starseeker scoffed. "Of course not. Everything I need is in my head. Calm down, Talon, I'm fine." Cooly, Starseeker pushed past the guard and walked off, more calm than he had ever been before. And to Jeweltalon, that was most definitely wrong. He just needed to find out what needed to be fixed. 7: Training and Battling The next day, Starseeker's routine was interrupted. Facing him at the yard, instead of Brightmoon, was a spitting Sandwing. He was furious, wings locked together, his tail barb kept from hurting anyone. Brightmoon nodded at Starseeker, and he leaped towards him. The Sandwing instantly jumped back, and then forward, onto Starseeker, his tail raised. However, he couldn't stab him, and Starseeker managed to throw him off. "Who are you?" He asked. "A prisoner here, like you," the Sandwing said, circling him. "But I'm going to escape." Escape. That sparked memories buried within him. "I'll kill you first," the Sandwing snarled, stopping his train of thought as he was forced to fight him. Starseeker jumped into the air, where the Sandwing could not follow, and then fell back down, pinning him to the ground. "Good luck with the whole killing me thing," he said. "It's been tried before, and hasn't really worked out." The Sandwing snarled, and guards came forward to take him away. "Who's next?" Over the next two weeks, he fought several dragons from other tribes, learning from his mistakes. At last, he was sent to face a Seawing. As soon as he saw the dragon, he stopped. Everything came rushing back. Riverrock. Seawings. The trial. ''He gasped. The dragon had her talons around his neck. Roaring his fury, he threw her off and fled. "Jeweltalon! I remember, I remember everything!" Jeweltalon was unimpressed. "You sure?" "Yes," Starseeker hissed. "I'm going to get out of here." 8: The Scavenger Raid "Here's the plan. When we fly out, you wait until we come to the Scavenger village, and then, in the chaos, slip into the forest. Then you go off and do whatever you want, you're free." "Why would you do this for me?" Talon studied him. "Because you lost something before coming here. Something important. And I believe that everyone should have a chance to be happy. Good luck, Starseeker." And then Jeweltalon melted into the shadows. Starseeker would never see him again. He, Brightmoon, and a few other dragons were flying to a scavenger den to complete their training. Although scavengers weren't really a threat, it was great fun, he had been told. He flew obediently, masking his thoughts. Soon, he would be free. There was the den, larger than he had imagined, and with a little wall around it. It was made of stone, with little slits smaller than his claws built in it, and manned by little ferocious scavengers. Inside the wall, there were a lot of buildings. He had been unaware that scavengers knew how to build like dragons. They screamed and ran about, flailing sticks. Brightmoon was right. This ''was hilarious. He landed outside and roared, followed by the other dragons. He watched as the scavengers rushed around, loading their little weapons that they made. A dragon roared the signal to attack and Starseeker rushed forward in the line of dragons. He barreled into the wall, but didn't quite manage to crash through it. A scavenger screamed shrilly by his face and stabbed him with a sharp metal stick, just barely missing his eye. Luckily for him, the weapon was at an angle, and slipped off his scales. He had not signed up for this. Starseeker rose into the sky, flapping wildly, then dove down as he was pelted with weapons, tearing his wing and wounding him. He raced towards the trees, and landed on the ground, panting. Those scavengers- he never wanted to see another one again. 9: The Forest Starseeker didn't move, waiting for the shock to wear off. Slowly, it did, and his heart calmed to a steady beating. Wincing, he stood up and limped towards a little pond. He cautiously submerged himself in the water, and floated around. He understood why Seawings loved it so much. The pool was clear and cool against his scales. He managed to breathe a puff of fire, watching it flare up in the air and then go out. At last he left the pond, and began to walk further into the forest, scraping away his prints with his tail. If he was lucky, he could live alone all his life. Or perhaps he could go to the Sea Kingdom and somehow convince them- it wasn't his fault. He shook his head. Of course it was, it was all his fault that he was here and his love was- was- He couldn't think the word. She was gone. She had done nothing but had been punished. He roared his fury and anguish and scraped his claws down a tree. He would kill the queen, and he would kill his parents, and he would kill every Nightwing in that council! And then, he thought darkly, he would go back to the camp and murder every dragon who made him forget who he was, who thought that they could turn him into a loyal soldier. Nightseeker, the queen's pet. Just the thought filled him with rage. He should fly there right now and- His wings, peppered with sticks, sent endless pain through him. Trying not to move too much, he turned his head and attempted to pull some of them out with his teeth. It did nothing. In fact, now he was bleeding more. He hung his head and lay down on the hard dirt. He was finished. He may be free, but he couldn't go anywhere, couldn't do anything, and he was racked with pain that scavengers had inflicted. It was pathetic. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would die in his sleep. ... Starseeker stretched, and realized it was nearly painless. He opened his eyes. Something had changed, and he realized he could feel something, covering his wings. He looked over. Was that... bandages? A crude type of bandages, but still. All the weapons were gone, scattered on the ground, broken. He lifted his wings, inspecting them. Everything was out, everything wrapped up. All of the sticks were gone from the rest of his body, as well, and his tail was wrapped up. Who did this? He looked around, hoping that the mystery dragon would show themselves, but no one did. He peered around, almost desperately, then shook his head. His mystery friend was long gone by now. Stretching, he began to weave between the trees, heading what he hoped was east. He walked quickly and quietly through the forest, leaving the pond and heading into the unknown. It was only when he passed the same massively-overgrown flowering bush three times that he realized he was lost. Somehow, he had been going in circles! Stumped, Starseeker sat down. He didn't dare fly with the chance of Nightwings hunting him, but he couldn't stay here and possibly starve! He had no idea how to hunt for food. He was a dragon, but a spoiled, palace-bred dragon who had never been to the forest. Taking a chance, he began to speak. "Um, mystery dragon, if you're there?" He stopped, feeling foolish. Well, if the dragon was there, he reasoned, they would come help, and if they weren't, no one would know. "I'm kind of lost... And I'd also like to thank you for tending my wounds... So please come out?" He stayed quiet for several minutes, but nothing stirred the bushes and flapped down from the trees. "Well," he sighed, "that was stupid." There was nothing for him to do but lay down and try to sleep. So, stamping down the grass, he did just that, with quite a lot of yawning and slowly blinking. 10: Mystery Dragon When Starseeker woke, it took him a moment to realize what he was looking at. There was the forest, as usual, quiet and frightening, with the early morning sunlight filtering through the trees. The air was chilly, just cold enough to wake him up and cause his breath to come in little puffs of air that he could see. He blinked several times. Something was wrong. It almost felt like the tree was watching him. He narrowed his eyes at a particularly large, moss-covered trunk. Something had moved. He slowly stood, wary, and scraped his claws along the ground, feeling his talons thrust deep into the ground and pull away the dirt. Suddenly, he froze. He had seen it that time! A little movement, the shine of a clean scale, perhaps. "I know you're there," he said cautiously, "so come out." For several moments nothing happened, and then the tree began to shift, colors spilling into it. He stepped back, amazed. A dragon gracefully climbed down from the tree, calming turquoise, sunny yellows, deep indigos, and bright red hues dancing around the scales. "A Rainwing!" He gasped, suddenly fearful. The Rainwing army inspired fear wherever they went, with their uncanny trick of becoming invisible, being able to sneak right up behind you, and venom that melted away your scales, causing immense pain until you died. The only Rainwings he had fought in the camp had bands around their snouts, but even then they were difficult to defeat. Besides that, Rainwings and Nightwings were enemies! The queen willingly, eagerly killed any Rainwing she saw in the Night Kingdom. His tribe was trained to attack the moment you saw them, and taught just how to maneuver around to clamp your talons around their snouts and keep them from disappearing. So why didn't he jump forward now, slashing and mutilating? Maybe it was because this dragon had been watching him for who-knew-how-long, and didn't kill him. Maybe it was because he had the idea- "Did you heal me?" The dragon did not reply, only stared, mute. She was beautiful, and mesmerizing. At last, the colors stopped changing and he was able to focus. He nodded to the bandages on his wings and body, and then looked back at her. "You did this?" "Yes." The voice was quiet and hoarse, as if the dragon had not spoken for a long time. He noticed that she stared at his scales just as much as he watched hers. "You have a question," he guessed. "What is it?" She pointed at him with her wing, taking a small step closer. "Why do you keep your scales dark like that?" As she said it, she unconsciously began mimicking him. He was amazed to see her scales match his in pattern and color. He had never thought about- these dragons could look exactly like him, except for their lithe, small build. He was suddenly dizzy. With this, there could be Rainwings in the palace, hiding and watching and waiting! She regarded him with clear eyes, and he remembered she had asked a question. "I can't change my scales," he explained. "This is what my tribe lookes like." How could she not know? The Rainforest was near enough to the Night Kingdom that if he went to the border, he might see those dragons. "But," he warned, "I can breathe fire at a moment's notice, and I'm a trained soldier." Hopefully that would be enough to keep her from attacking, now that she knew that he wasn't a Rainwing. She nodded as if she understood. "What do they call you?" "Uh- Starseeker. My name is Starseeker." She smiled. "Amaranth calls me Legend." 11: Legend She gestured towards the trees with her wing. "You are lost, aren't you?" He nodded. "I will bring you to my den, then." She hesitated. "Please excuse how I speak. I haven't talked to anyone in a long time." "Are you a hermit, then?" he asked, mimicking her soft voice and careful way of speaking. "No," she said, and began to fly without waiting for more. She weaved between the trees, tucking her wings in in some places and extending them in others, causing her to effectively soar across the forest, close to the ground. He had much less luck, stumbling and getting left behind. At last she stopped, and he looked around, confused. This was a rather ordinary section of the forest, wasn't it? Everything looked exactly the same as it did everywhere else. At least, it did until she slipped into a small, murky pond. "This is the entrance," she explained, and abruptly dove. Not wanting to be left behind, Starseeker charged in behind her and worked to reach the bottom, expecting to feel oozing mud beneath his talons. But instead, he could clearly recognize smooth stone. It sloped down, and so he began to follow it blindly, pressing his body to it. At last, the water cleared, and he, running out of air, swam up. His head bumped against stone, and he began to panic. How would he breathe? Already he was becoming weaker, and he was stuck in an underwater cave! The realization hit. He was such an idiot. Legend was just acting different. She was really exactly the same as all the other Rainwings, cunning and evil, and was even now killing him! He thrashed around, and when she gently tapped his leg, he struck at her, and she swam away in a flurry of bubbles. Angrily, he followed her, and a second later surfaced, sucking in the sweet air. He panted, trying to breathe and breathe and never stop. He thought he was going to die! But he hadn't! He looked around. He was right. They were in an underwater cave, somewhere underground. It was dark, but light filtered in from little, unnoticeable holes above him. He emerged from the water, dripping wet, and saw that the light was greenish, being blocked by leaves. The rest of the cave was rather plain, and it was smaller than he had first thought. The walls were rough, and the floor was smooth yet sloping. There was a small drawing on one wall, depicting Legend surrounded by greenery. The art style was unrecognizable to him, but he liked it. Nearby was a pile of sticks, leaves, and bark arranged into a sort of large nest. The depression within looked to be the size of the Rainwing. She sat next to it, wet as well, her scales a mix of several bright, sunshiney colors. "Welcome," she said. "This is my den." He looked around in awe. "Who built it?" "Amaranth started it, and when I was strong enough, I worked on it more. I'm still digging," she said, gesturing to a small dragon-sized tunnel that he could see was only a few wing-lengths long. "Wow. Who is Amaranth?" "My two-legger. She found me when I was younger, and nursed me back to health, hiding me from the ones who wanted to hurt me. She comes by often, and sometimes we go flying together." She perked up at those words, although Starseeker didn't understand some of them. He guessed the ones who hurt her were Nightwings, but then why didn't she just say so? And why was she here when she could be safe in the Rainforest? And, most pressing, what was a two-legger? He had never heard the term before. Did she mean birds? Was there some large, intelligent bird he had never heard about? Or maybe a dragon who was maimed? "And then I found you," she said, glowing with pride. "And I took the arrows out and bandaged up the wounds. Amaranth said that happened to me, when I was small. I thought you were just black because you were hurting," she added as an afterthought. "Would you like to meet Amaranth?" she asked suddenly, standing. "I usually meet her near the village, in a little hidden thicket." Starseeker felt safe in the cave, but his curiosity was eating away at his insides. "Yes, I would love to. Can we go now?" She began to enter the water, before diving and swimming up. Taking a deep breath, Nightseeker followed. 12: Amaranth The trip to the spot was longer, and they didn't go so fast, but Starseeker much preferred walking to whatever they were doing before. He had so many questions, and he was hoping that Amaranth would be able to answer them. They did not speak much on the trek, but that was alright with him. At last they arrived. It was about midday, and Legend curled up on the ground, blending in enough that you could still see her, but it took concentration. Starseeker backed up to a shady tree with branches reaching down to the ground. There, he waited. He did not see a dragon for a time, but when he was ready to leave, a scavenger with dark fur and costume appeared. It looked around cautiously, wielding a weapon, before spotting Legend. "Legend, look out!" He shouted, leaping forward. The scavenger backed up, and he hissed. It would already be dead but for the weapon it was holding. He knew from experience that those were deadly and were to be treated with caution. "Starseeker, what are you doing?" Legend pushed him back and approached the scavenger. She said something softly: "Amaranth." The scavenger rubbed Legend's neck and chattered something. "Starseeker," Legend said carefully. "Starseeker," the scavenger repeated, its' voice higher than he was accustomed to. It pointed to him, and then to Legend. "Legend." Then it pointed to itself. "I am Amaranth." "This is Amaranth?" Starseeker gasped, shocked. This was a scavenger! "You weren't raised by two-leggers," she said slowly, understanding. "We call them scavengers," he said. The scavenger, Amaranth, spoke some more, and Legend nodded. "You can understand it?" He backed up, flaring his wings. "Yes, but I can't speak to her. I can't form the words in her language." He lashed his tail. "This is against everything we know! Scavengers are pests!" "Amaranth is not a pest!" She shouted back, her voice cracking. "She healed me and raised me, which is more than what your tribe did! They tried to kill me!" Starseeker roared. "Step back, and I'll kill it and take you back to be a real dragon!" "No!" She said, protecting the scavenger. This was disgusting, this was horrendous, this was against everything he knew, everything he had ever heard of, against everything he believed! Scavengers couldn't speak to dragons, and dragons couldn't understand them! This was wrong. Suddenly, an arrow shot out of the trees, just missing him. He jumped as several scavengers came into view, fitted with weapons and protective garments. They shouted at Amaranth, who said something nonsensical back. They aimed their sticks at Starseeker, and he lifted his wings, only to feel a stab of pain. My bandages. I won't be able to fly fast enough, he realized with a jolt of fear. I'm going to die. 13: The Conflict Legend hadn't expected Starseeker to react so angrily. Wasn't this how things were? How things were meant to be? She and Amaranth shared a bond. They protected each other, cared for each other. But for Starseeker, this wasn't right. For him, she supposed, the other dragons raised him. Well, look how he's turned out, her mind argued. Lost in a forest and wounded. However, she had expected to be able to calm him down. That was when the hunting party came. Six two-leggers, armed with bows and swords and spears, and wearing armor. "Don't worry, we'll save you!" They shouted to Amaranth, aiming at Legend and Starseeker. "Stop!" She shouted back. "Please, let me explain!" Amaranth had kept Legend a secret from the others, trying to protect her. She had said that someday she would reveal her secret. Legend supposed that day was today. But it was happening all wrong. Legend couldn't hurt them, that would make it worse! The two-leggers were aiming to kill, she could see. She tried not to whimper, and covered her head with her wings. She would die, she would die, and Amaranth would have to watch. Suddenly, Legend felt something. She looked up, and saw Amaranth scrambling onto her back. "What are you doing?" The two-leggers asked, shocked. "Put your weapons down," Amaranth commanded. "Put them down and I'll explain everything." To Legend's amazement, they obeyed, unloading and settling them down. Amaranth slid off Legend's back, and approached. "This is Legend," she said, patting her on the snout. "We are Dragonkin." They wondered, they were shocked and amazed. "How did you do this?" "I found her, when she was wounded, and I healed her," Amaranth began to explain, telling them how they had met, and although Legend was frightened, she hadn't resisted Amaranth when she tried to help. "You've done this for so long," one said in a hushed voice. "Why?" "Because I love her." Amaranth said, looking up, into Legend's eyes. "And she- she can understand us?" Legend nodded. "Hello Legend," another said, smiling up at her. "I am Matthias." One by one, they listed their names. Legend knew that Amaranth was called something else by the two-leggers, something she couldn't pronounce. "Alessandra." That was it. "This is-" she hesitated, turning to Legend. "Starseeker?" Starseeker watched on, from the shadows, obviously uncomfortable. "Starseeker," Legend said, "They are friends. They won't hurt you. Come here." He seemed to regain some of his boldness, and warily approached. The two-leggers did not touch him, although they rubbed Legend's scales in awe, gently touching her sharp claws and stroking her wings. "We must tell the village," said one of the two-leggers, Gabriel. "The council will want to know." "Wait," Amaranth said, grabbing his arm. "We have to be careful. They will be frightened." They nodded, and began to discuss ways to introduce the dragons. Legend turned to Starseeker. "They want to show us to the village," she translated. "Help them see that they shouldn't kill us." "That's a bad idea. Scavengers don't understand things like that." She snorted. Did he really think that? "Doesn't what you see here convince you that they do? I understand them. I think," she said, guessing what she suspected, "I think they would be able to learn how to speak to us." "What? That's impossible!" "Amaranth can say my name. And yours. And she can say 'I am Amaranth.' I taught her those. What more could she learn?" He shook his head, but remained silent. "Just let us go to the village. If they have a negative reaction, I will willingly admit that you were right." "If they have a negative reaction, we will be dead!" "We haven't died yet!" Amaranth tapped Legend. "We have an idea." 14: The Village It turned out that the idea was for all seven of them to surround the dragons, with Amaranth on Legend's back, to make the two-leggers hesitate just enough for them to convince them that it was alright, they were safe. Starseeker clearly had doubts, but Legend was willing to hope. And so they entered the village. It was small, and the streets were narrow, so they couldn't actually enter, but they stopped just outside. Nervously, Legend watched the villagers arm themselves and come to stand together to protect themselves. Starseeker backed up. "Wait, it's alright!" Amaranth shouted, dismounting. "This is Legend and Starseeker. I am Dragonkin with Legend. We are okay." Amaranth had explained what Dragonkin meant to Legend. It was an old idea of the two-leggers, that they could exist peacefully with dragons under Dragonkin, where one of their own bonded with a dragon, and going together to ease tensions. Technically Amaranth and Legend hadn't gone through the ceremony, but they were as close to the guidelines as they could get. "There hasn't been Dragonkin for thousands of years," a two-legger said in awe. "It's happening now. We have come to show you. Lower your weapons, and-" "And they'll kill us all!" Another shouted. "Dragonkin is a myth!" "You have to trust us," one of the others said. "These dragons haven't hurt us, and Alessandra has been Dragonkin for years. Years, Arthur." Slowly, the two-leggers set down the swords, bows, and spears. Legend let out a sigh. They were safe! It had worked! Murmuring, they came closer, gingerly touching Legend and Starseeker, and then skirting away. Starseeker was uncomfortable, Legend could tell, and she tried to draw attention to herself instead by flashing her scales, making colors swirl and mix. Suddenly, she disappeared, and they gasped. Just as quickly she reappeared again. "Should you have shown them that?" Starseeker grumbled. "Show them your fire," she urged. He opened his mouth and inhaled. "In the sky," she added quickly, and a puff of fire lit the air above them, warming her snout. They crowded closer. It was a success. Amaranth leaned against Legend, smiling. "We did it, Legend! We did it." 15: Memories Over the next two days, Legend and Starseeker were with the scavengers as they admired and studied them. Starseeker even began to pick up some of the language, common words such as dragon, Dragonkin, beautiful, and several others, enough that he could get the general gist of the sentence. Still, he had Legend translate for him as often as possible. Amaranth was nearly always next to them, and always close by, and Starseeker was annoyed when he found that Legend had begun proving him wrong by teaching Amaranth how to speak to them. However, it wasn't progressing very quickly. On the third day, the village was slow to come out to them. And when they did, Legend was obviously worried by what they said. "Danger," she translated, "There's soldiers coming. Someone told them that we were here." "Couldn't you just explain things to them?" He asked, half-genuinely, half-mockingly. "No," she said, shaking her head. "They would kill first, speak later. We have to go. Now." "I'm ready," he said, spreading his now-mostly-healed wings. Amaranth said something to Legend and her frown turned into a gasp as she spotted something in the distance. Starseeker narrowed his eyes, peering at it, and managed to pick out horses. And scavengers. There were many of them. He stepped back in alarm, lashing his tail and throwing his head back. "We have to go, Legend!" "Wait! Amaranth has to do something!" The scavenger was running to the village, but Starseeker could see that it would be close. He watched in suspense as the oncoming scavengers came even nearer. At last, Amaranth began running, but even now the scavengers were too close. She scrambled up Legend's back, holding a sack, just as the army came close enough to speak. The villagers were standing off to the side, whispering to each other. The lead scavenger said something to the dragons, and Amaranth shouted back. Suddenly, arrows were shot towards the dragons. Legend reared, nearly causing Amaranth to fall, and flapped into the sky, Starseeker close behind. Still the weapons came. He roared and began to wing away, at last finding an air current and letting it take him above the clouds. "What happened?" he asked Legend. She didn't have nearly as many wounds, the scavengers trying not to hit Amaranth. "I don't know. He told Amaranth to get off, and she said no, and then suddenly they were shooting at us!" "Where to now?" She didn't know, but Starseeker could see a glimmer ahead. "The ocean," he breathed. That would be a safe place as any. He slowly began to glide down. The ocean was beautiful, with its' distinct smell and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. He eagerly waded in to let the water wash away his pain, but jumped out as it hit him. The salt stung! He was bleeding more than ever now, and he had no idea what to do. Then Amaranth came, and after a moment's hesitation, he let her begin to heal him. "I had just gotten better!" He complained to Legend. "Now it'll take even longer until I'm back to how I was at the camp." "You have mentioned the camp before. Tell me, what was it like?" He shivered. "A regular training camp, except completely walled and full of Nightwings who wanted to do me harm. My first day, I was almost murdered." And so he began, telling her everything. "I don't know what they did, but I was manipulated or something into believing that I liked it there, that I wanted to serve the queen and the council. It was awful." "What made you remember?" He hesitated. If he spoke now, all the memories would come flooding back. He met Legend's eyes, watched her shift from her normally vibrant colors to one matching the sea. And then it began. As he spoke, he remembered everything, how he felt, what he did, and, most importantly, he remembered her. He was near the coast, but not close enough that he could see the ocean. He was with several other Nightwings by a large river, when she saw her. A Seawing, beautiful and mysterious. She looked at him and then disappeared into the water. '' ''That night, he went looking for her. And he found her. Her name was Riverrock, and at first they were afraid of each other. But slowly they began to relax. '' ''She was beautiful, and intelligent, and funny, and she made him feel safe. And then, when he was supposed to go back to the palace, she made him an offer. '' ''"Run away with me, Seeker. Run away and you'll never have to face your parents or the council again." '' ''It was so tempting, and he wanted to say yes. He was in love, he never wanted to leave her side. He worried all night, and then, early in the morning, before dawn, he went. '' ''They swam down the river, towards the sea, and almost made it before they were captured. The Nightwings came. Somehow, they knew what he was doing, and they stopped it. '' ''He was stuck in a Nightwing prison, a place he had never before been. He pleaded with his captors to let her go, she had done nothing wrong, but to no avail. When his parents came to speak with him, Starseeker was begging to be released. Until they gave him the terms. "You will be forgiven and pardoned if you kill the Seawing," his father said. "Otherwise, you will be subject to the council." The Nightwing council was infamous for horrendous sentences against those that commited a crime. Still, he couldn't even think about the odds. '' ''"I will never do that!" He shouted, leaning against the cell bars. "I would die first!" His mother shrugged, and left without a word. A week later, he was called to the trial. He still didn't know what they had done to Riverrock, or where she was. '' Starseeker jumped as Legend brushed him with her wing. "I had no idea." He looked away. Why had he told her that? "I'm going to get revenge on them. No matter what it takes. They-" killed her? Had they killed Riverrock? She looked at him with worried eyes. "Revenge like that isn't healthy. You'll just become more bitter, Starseeker." He stepped away from her. "Don't you see? They took away everything I loved and manipulated me while I was at that death camp. If they discover where I am, no matter where I hide, I will never rest." She looked out at the sea, her scales swirling with colors. Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "The Ocean! What if we go to the Seawings, and see what happened to her? She may still be alive, she may even be there!" She waved her wing at the water. "What? That's- impossible. We don't even know where the palace or anything is, and they would most likely kill me on sight!" "They need to know about Riverrock, what the Nightwings did." She thought for a moment. "There has to be someplace that we can breathe. How else would the Seawings meet with any other tribe? We just need to find it." 16: The Seawings Several days later, Starseeker watched the water with apprehension. They had seen a Seawing near here, and were now waiting for another one to surface. It had been almost two days. Legend was listening to Amaranth chatter on, and occasionally she would say something back. "Why are you talking to her?" Starseeker asked her. "I'm teaching her." "What? Why?" "I ''told you, Starseeker, I think she could learn. And so I'm doing my best." He wrinkled his nose, flapping his wings. "That's never going to work." She scowled. "Yes, it will. And it will make everything so much easier. Don't you want to understand what she's saying, too?" "No. I don't care. She's just a scavenger." She rolled her eyes and turned back to the little scavenger, who squeaked. Starseeker growled and went forward to wade in the water. Sand washed through his talons, and he splashed around in the ocean good-naturedly. He had never gotten far enough with Riverrock to really enjoy it. He squinted out to where the water was reflecting the sun, and thought he saw something... move. "Legend? I think I saw something!" "Yes, Starseeker, the ocean. Things live in it," she growled. "I'm busy proving you wrong, here." "Ugh. Fine. I won't bother you again." Category:Fanfictions Category:Content (Sidewalkflowers) Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)